Keep on Carryin' the Banner
by ShortAtntionSpaz
Summary: An extension of the wonderful movie, Newsies. Explains a bit about the past of a few people, and a few new charactors of my own.
1. Find your Bliss

Bliss walked down the street crying out, "Another politician murdered, third time this month!"

An old man dressed in a brown suit called out, "How much for one of your fine newspapers, Miss?"

"One pape for a mere penny!" 

"That price is outrageous!" He said to her.

"I've got to make a living Sir!" She exclaimed.

"I know, that's why it's so outrageous! Pick me out a good one please." he said with a smile.

She handed him a pape from the middle of the stack, so it wasn't bent at the corners." Here you go Sir." She said cheerfully.

Taking it from her, he inspected it and said "This is at least worth this much." as he pressed a coin into her hand and walked off whistling.

Looking down at her hand, she noticed that he had given her 50 cents!

"Thank you sir!" she called out to him, just as he disappeared around a corner. She looked down at her hand again, unbelieving he good fortune. That was worth...... Maybe she could buy herself something, or should she save it for a rainy day? Finally she snapped out of it and realized that she still had papes to sell. "No suspects in murder case! Three dead!" she cried out. 

After a big lull in the crowds, and different people were around, she called out,

"Serial killer on the loose! Locals terrified for their lives! Even the mayor is concerned!" She held a pape up to the sky and proclaimed "Just one mere cent for the latest news!" 

A group of people crowded around her, and she handed out the papes. Pretty soon, her stack had ran out. Looking around her, Bliss wiped her forehead off on the sleeve of her dress, and turned towards the lodging house, deep in thought. So deep in thought that she made a wrong turn, and didn't notice it until she was standing face to face with a brick wall. She turned, and leaned on the bricks, grateful that they were in the shade, the coolness of the rough wall on her hot back felt wonderful. She slid down the wall, sitting on the ground to rest for a minute. Bliss pulled her shoulder bag, now empty of papes, over her head and set it on the ground next to her. When she put her arms back to her side, she hit her elbow on a brick that was sticking out. Sucking in her breath and squeezing her watering eyes closed, she managed not to cry out. She had been trying to prove to the guys at the lodging house that she was tough, so she promised herself that she wouldn't cry if she got hurt. She looked down at the brick that was sticking out, and hit it. _Stupid brick! _she thought to herself. She didn't know if she had imagined it or not, but she thought it moved. Turning around to face the wall, she sat on her knees and pulled on the brick. At first it wouldn't move, but when it came out, she almost flew back. Looking inside, she saw a piece of paper. Pulling it out, she read:

Property of Dray Blithe! Don't you touch it!

__

Dray Blithe? Where had she heard that name before? Suddenly she remembered! That was the politician that was killed last night! She remembered reading a little bit of his background. She thought that it was funny that he started out as a newsboy, and made it all the way up to where he did. Well, looking at the paper, it looked like no one knew or remembered about this little hiding spot.

She peered into the hole in the wall. She saw something, but couldn't make it out. Reaching in, she pulled out a leather pouch, and a harmonica. The harmonica was badly rusted, so it was worthless. She felt around in the hole, finding nothing else, she put the harmonica and the paper back in, and looked in the leather pouch. She almost fell over in surprise! Quickly she poured out the contents of the pouch out in the skirt of her dress. There was a pocket watch, a half a dozen of rings, a fountain pen, 4 necklaces, 3 buttons, 6 marbles, a money clip, and some coins. Quickly she counted it all out. There was twelve dollars in the money clip, and 5 dollars and 29 cents in coins! She clasped her hands over her mouth, her eyed widened in surprise as she realized what she found! She was rich! She looked around, making sure that no one saw her. After making certain no one was in sight, she turned back to her newfound treasure, and slipped it all back into the bag it came from, and put it in her shoulder bag with her money from selling her papes. Standing up, she brushed the dust from her skirt and pulled her bag over her head, resting the strap on her right shoulder. She put the brick back in place, and casually wandered out of the alley, and back on the right track towards home. Bliss wondered what she was going to do with her newfound treasure. She couldn't carry it around, it was heavy in her shoulder bag, and the jingling would attract pickpockets, or worse, thugs. Bliss put her hand across her bag to stop the jingling and continued her thoughts. She couldn't leave it in the lodging house, it would get stolen there too. She trusted most of them, but the newsies that traveled through weren't all trustworthy. Up ahead, she saw a sign pointing to the entrance to Medda's joint. Bliss had an idea. She made her way to the side entrance, and let herself in. After waving to Toby, the candy seller, she settles herself on a large trunk that they used for props to watch the rest of the show. Bliss watched intently, mouthing the words along with Medda. When the performance was over, Medda walked off stage and spied Bliss sitting there.

"Bliss! How ya doing kid? I haven't seen you in a while." Medda said as she reached out, tucking one of Bliss' loose curls behind her ear.

"I've been good." Replied Bliss.

"What brings you to Medda today dear?" She asked.

Looking down at her feet, Bliss said "I need to ask you a favor..."

"Well, out with it, what do you need?" Medda prompted.

"Can you hold something for me?" Bliss asked, looking up into Medda's eyes.

"Sure!" She answered, "What is it?"

"I had a bit of luck today, and I found some money and a few other things I can't keep with me." Bliss answered. as she took the leather pouch out of her bag, and carefully poured it out onto the trunk she was just sitting on.

With a gasp of surprise, Medda asked "Where did you find that?"

"After I finished my sellin', I was walking around, and not paying any attention, and I found myself in an alley. I sat down against the wall to rest, and I bumped my elbow on a loose brick. I pulled out the brick, and there was a rusty harmonica, a piece of paper that said 'Property of Dray Blithe! Don't you touch it!' and this pouch." She explained.

"Oh, I remember Dray! He was my brother's friend. Best pickpocket in Manhattan!" Said Medda

"That's why he had the jewelry I bet!" Exclaimed Bliss. "So can you hold this for me?" she asked timidly. As she started to put it all back in the leather bag, the seam gave out, and what little she had just put in came back out through the bottom. So Bliss tucked it all in a pocket on her shoulder bag.

"Well, well, follow me Bliss." Medda said, turning on her heel and going into her dressing room. 

No one ever goes into Medda's dressing room. It was sacred ground as far as the Newsies were concerned. Bliss stopped in the doorway and hesitated.

"Come on in, it's ok, I officially invited you." Medda said as she grabbed Bliss' hand and pulled her in.

"You can put it all in here." Medda told her, holding out a thick, flat topped, wooden and brass box that looked like a miniature treasure box. 

Bliss piled in the pocket watch, the jewelry, fountain pen, the money clip, and most of the coins in the box, but kept the marbles, buttons, and 25 cents, and she put that change with the rest of the money she had made from selling papes.

Medda put the box on her make-up table, and put a bottle of perfume on it, along with some other things so it would be inconspicuous.

Bliss gazed around the room, looking at the photographs on the walls, and the wardrobe filled with satin and silk dresses.

Medda wouldn't let her leave without a small bag of candies for the boys back at the lodging house, and a ribbon for her hair, which Medda tied back out of her face, leaving the mess of curls to spill down her back, instead of hiding her eyes.

Bliss left there over two hours later with her spirits high, and whistled on her way back to the lodging house. 

When she opened the door, she saw everyone sitting in the commons room, all looking anxious. Racetrack, Mush and Jack were sitting in the corner playing cards. Kid Blink and Crutchy were in a heated discussion over something, and Dutchy was pacing back and forth across the room. Snipeshooter was sitting on the floor with Itey, folding newspapers. At the sound of the door closing behind Bliss, everyone looked up. 

It seems like everyone came over to talk to her. Since Dutchy was already on his feet, and closest to the door, he got there first.

"Where have you been?" Dutchy demanded.

"You had us worried, Bliss!" said Mush.

"Worried? Why? I wasn't gone all night!" she protested.

"You were gone a lot longer than usual!" said Jack.

"So the next time I stop and see a friend, now I have to send a message first? What's with you guys tonight?"

Racetrack piped up from the corner, "I guess it's just that headline today, about all those people being killed..."

"Yeah!" the rest of them chorused.

"You never told us where you were!" insisted Snipeshooter.

"I was just at Medda's!" she answered.

There was a collective sigh of relief from around the room.

"Anyways, I am definitely _not_ a politician." Bliss added. "Oh, and Medda sent me with something for you..." She said as she started rummaging through her bag. 

Hearing this, they all got excited, and when she pulled a bag of candy from her bag, they all cheered.

She pulled out a licorice whip and a gumdrop for each of them, and then everyone settled back into what they were doing before she came in. Except for Dutchy, he sat down and joined the card game.

Bliss looked around the room at all the boys, and smiled. 

__

I had come to Manhattan looking for something. I didn't know what I was looking for, but I found trouble instead. One day when I was walking around, asking for work, these two guys started harassing me, and pushed me against the wall, and searched my pockets for money. Medda came out of the door in the side of the stage just at the right moment, right before one of the guys tried to hit me. He was mad that I didn't have any money. Medda, using her "don't mess with me" voice told them to get out of there, and invited me in. I stayed at Medda's place that night, sleeping wrapped in an old piece of a backdrop as a blanket. The next day, Medda introduced me to Kloppman, and got me a bunk, and she even paid for a whole month for me to stay here! 

At first, all the newsies stayed away from her, but quickly, their suspicious attitudes turned to protectiveness. Her eyes wandered around the room, meeting with Snipeshooter's. He smiled at her, then got back to his paper hat folding. He was the youngest. The only one that was younger than him was Les, who lived at home. The four in the corner playing cards were the most protective of all. If ever they were near, she could feel their eyes on her, watching to make sure no one messed with her. Out of the corner of her eye, Bliss saw Itey yawn and rub his eyes sleepily. 

Standing up, she said "Ok, Snipe, Itey, time for bed, you guys look like you have been awake long enough."

"Awwww, Bliss, I'm not tired! Can't we just stay up for a few minutes longer?" pleaded Snipe, before a yawn escaped and foiled his not sleepy plea.

She went over and grabbed them both by the suspenders, pulled them to their feet, and directed them towards the stairs.

With a groan, they told everyone good night and started walking up to the bunkroom. 

"When I come up, you both better be asleep, ya hear!" she called after them.

Turning back around towards the group, she got a big grin from Dutchy.

He said "I don't know what it is about you, they never listen to anyone else!"

Jack replied for her "She's got one of them....looks, Medda has it too...."

"Yeah, the look of death!" Said Racetrack

Everyone laughed at that, even Bliss.

Kloppman called from the doorway of his office, "Bliss, use that look of death, and get all of them to go to bed, lights out is in 30 minutes!"

"All right, Mr. Kloppman, I'll make sure they're ready for it." she told him.

The four playing cards were the first ones to move, Racetrack grabbed his cards, and the rest of them scurried to get out of Bliss' way. Bumlets wasn't quick enough, and Bliss caught him by the shoulder and nudged him towards the stairs.

Bliss walked around the room, grabbing Itey's shoes, Bumlet's walking stick, Jack's cowboy hat, and three pennies from the couch where Crutchy was sitting. Upon looking under the couch, she found Les' hat, and put it on Kloppman's desk in case he came back looking for it. She gathered everything else up and went upstairs. At the bunkroom door she knocked three times and asked, 

"Can I come in?"

She could hear shuffling around before she heard Mush call out "All clear."

Bliss pushed the door open, and as she walked along the rows of bunks, she tossed Jack his hat, handed Crutchy his three cents, leaned Bumlet's walking stick against his bunk, before stopping by Itey's bunk. She checked to see was awake, and finding him asleep, she put his shoes halfway under his bed and pulled his covers up around his shoulders. She did the same for Snipeshooter. She changed her clothes in a bathroom stall and put her dusty dress in the laundry basket before she walked around the room, softly singing a song and gathering the boy's clothes from the floor. She had to wake up early tomorrow to wash their clothes, a few of them ran out of clean clothes before laundry day, and all of their wardrobe was in the rapidly filling wicker laundry basket. Tomorrow was Saturday, her laundry day. She did everyone's laundry, and they all paid her a penny a month. Bliss worked double time, as a newsie, and as a substitute mother for "her boys". She finally turned the lights out and made her way over to her bunk. She slipped under the covers and lay there, her eyes slowly adjusting to the darkness. Bliss smiled as she thought of her first day here. it was hard to believe that it was only a year ago.


	2. She spitshakes?

"Come on Bliss, this way dear." Medda prompted, leading her around a corner. They stopped walking right under a sign that read "Manhattan Lodging house".

"Don't be afraid here, they're good friends of mine. If they mess with you, they'll have to deal with me, and you tell them that, ok." Medda told her as she reached out, tucking one of Bliss' loose curls behind Bliss' ear.

They walked in, and Medda talked to Mr. Kloppman while Bliss walked around the room, taking in her surroundings. There were a pair of shoes under a chair, a sock hanging over the back of a couch, a shirt laying in a pile in the middle of the room, and a hat sticking up out from in between the cushions of the couch.

Kloppman stopped talking mid-sentence and watched Bliss as she walked around the room, gathering the clothes and straightening the cushions someone had used to build a fort. She put all the clothes in a pile on the couch, and went around the room again, this time getting the garbage. There was a couple of ripped pieces of newspaper lying about, along with a crust of bread. She walked over to Kloppman's desk and asked him, "Where's your garbage can, Sir?"

He motioned that it was around the corner, and when she had come back, he had the sign in notebook all ready for her.

"You can sign here, Miss." he said, handing her a pen.

Medda said her goodbyes and Kloppman showed Bliss up to the bunkroom. When he opened the door, she shook her head at the mess that unfolded before her. Every bunk had a pile on it and around it.

"You can take this bunk, there's no one in either one beside yours." Kloppman told her. "Make yourself at home, Bliss, the boys will start filing in at about 5:00. It's only about 11:30, so you just make yourself at home, and if you need anything, just ask." He said as he went out the door and down the stairs.

At about 4:45, Jack came wandering in. 

"Kloppman, what's new?" He asked.

"We have a new boarder." He told Jack.

Looking around, Jack asked "Upstairs?" 

After a nod from Kloppman, Jack started up the stairs.

"That girl is gonna stir things up around here!" Kloppman said quietly to himself.

Jack opened the door to the bunkroom, and almost fell over in surprise. The bunks were clean! They all had their beds made, and judging by the smell in the air, the blankets, and everything else was washed too. He looked over and was even more surprised to see a girl sitting on a bunk, sewing a button on snipe's shirt. She hadn't seen him yet, so she was just sitting there, sewing and singing softly. He looked past her and noticed that the bunk on the other side of her was filled with nicely folded clothes.

"Who are you?" He demanded.

She glanced up at him and answered, "I'm Bliss, who are you?"

He didn't answer at first, he was too busy pacing the rows and muttering to himself. So she put down her sewing, which was finished anyway, and walked right up to him, and looked him in the eye. "I said, who are you?" she said more slowly this time.

He opened his mouth again to ask her another question, but as soon as he saw the look in her eyes, he stopped and answered "Jack. Jack Kelley. Or Cowboy. Whatever you want to call me....Your a girl!" he exclaimed.

"Yeah, I knew that already, but what does that have to do with anything?"

Without answering, he shook his head and walked back out of the room.

Sighing, she went back over to her bunk and grabbed the shirt she had finished mending, folded it, and put it with the pile of already clean and folded laundry.

Jack reached Kloppman's desk just as Dutchy and Racetrack did.

"Kloppman!" he exclaimed, "That's a girl!" He stood there looking at Race and Dutchy to say something, but they were confused as to what they were talking about.

Kloppman filled them in. "We have a new boarder, her name is Bliss."

Before he could finish the sentence, Race and Dutchy charged up the stairs, followed by Jack. They stopped suddenly, Race and Dutchy had the same reaction as Jack's was earlier. They all walked across the room as Bliss stood up to greet them.

Racetrack looked at her and said, "You're a girl!"

With a smile, she said "I know, Jack was kind enough to tell me that already. Who are you guys?"

Dutchy shook his head at Jack and Race before saying "Name's Dutchy, you are.....?"

"Bliss." she finished.

Dutchy spit in his hand and extended it out to her. She raised her eyebrows in question before spitting into her own hand, and shaking his hand. At that

Race and Jack's jaws dropped.

"She spitshakes? Girls don't do that! Do they?" Racetrack asked Jack.

"Apparently they do.... or at least this one does." he said

After getting over his initial shock, Race told her, "Racetrack, I'm Racetrack."

Just as the words were out of his mouth, a group of newsies came into the room and ran to their bunks.

"Somebody stole my clothes!" exclaimed Itey.

"Mine are gone too!" added Snipeshooter.

Everyone scurried around the room, blaming each other for their missing things. Before they could completely thrash the room, Bliss told Race and Dutchy "Excuse me." as she walked in between them. She stood on the other side of them and shouted "Hey!"

All of the boys that were rushing around the room stopped still, and stood there staring at the girl that they hadn't noticed before. There had never seen a girl in the lodging house, let alone in the bunk room!

Bliss, with her hands on her hips said, "You will stop messing up my hard work and come over here, _right now._"

Without hesitation, they all gathered in front of her.

Smiling, she told them all, "Hello, my name is Bliss. I have just spent all morning washing your blankets and clothes, and I even did some mending. All your clothes are over there." she told them. They all started to run over and grab their clothes, but she said in an athorative voice, "Wait!"

They all stopped and looked at her.

"Slow down. Don't mess up my folds, and put them away nicely where they go."

Snipeshooter raised his hand and waved it around.

Bliss smiled and asked him, "What's your name?"

"Snipeshooter... What if you don't got no place for your clothes to go?" he said with a worried expression on his face.

With a grin, Bliss answered, "Then put them in a nice stack under your bed."

"Ohhh!" they all echoed back to her.

"Now you can go." she prompted, and all the boys walked over and grabbed their clothes, all the while watching her to see what she was going to do next.

Jack, Race and Dutchy were still standing off to the side just staring, trying to figure it all out. 

Bliss looked at them, "I guess that means that you have no clothes to put away, any of you?" she asked.

Their answer was a series of "I, uh, no, he, yes, um..." coming from all three of them before they stopped trying to explain, and just grabbed their stuff to put away. 

After everything had quieted down a bit, Mush, followed by David came into the room. While Mush introduced himself to Bliss, David walked around asking everyone "Ya seen Les? I can't find him. Mom's gonna kill me!"

Just as David got all the way around the room to ask Jack, the sound of someone yelling filled the air. After that came the sound of someone chasing someone else up the stairs. Les shot through the door, followed by Morris Delancey. Morris dived for Les, missing him just barely. Les ran right by Bliss to go hide behind David. Jack stepped out to defend the little boy, but before Morris got to him, he tried to run past Bliss. She latched onto a handful of his hair, causing him to almost fall over backwards with a scream. He looked at Bliss, surprised that a girl dared do anything to him. Almost every other guy in the room tensed up, ready to lash out if he tried to hurt her, but amazingly enough, he didn't try to hurt her. The expression on her face showed that she was infuriated by him. Through clenched teeth, still holding onto his hair, she asked him "What do you think your doing?"

He put up his hands in defense and said "The brat-" he cringed as she tightened the hold on his hair. "I mean, the boy, ran into me."

With a look of impatience, she said to him, "Get a life!" as she half dragged him to the door and shoved him out. As she walked down the stairs, she called to him, "Don't mess with smaller kids, if I hear about it, I'll soak you for it!" before she slammed the door.

Racetrack muttered just loud enough for everyone to hear, "After this, nothin should surprise me!"

At this, everyone nodded, openmouthed.

"Wow, thanks!" Exclaimed Les.

"Ah, that was nothin'." she told him.

"No, that _was_ something." corrected David.

"Yeah, it would have taken at least three of us to get him out of here as fast as you did." Mush told her.

"Who are you?" Asked Les.

"Name's Bliss." She told him, "Who are you?"

"I'm Les, and this is my brother David."

"Well, nice to meet you both." She said with a smile.

"You don't look like Sarah." Stated Les with a shake of his head.

"I don't? Well, who's Sarah?" She asked.

"My sister, she's older than David. She's waiting for us at home. Her hair is darker, and aint made of springs like yours is." he said solemnly.

Her face breaking into a grin, she leaned forward, pulling some of her hair out from behind her ear, she told him, "It's not springs, see, feel this. It's just curly hair. Like David's is curly, only his is shorter."

Davis put his hand on Les' shoulder and said "It was nice to meet you Bliss, but it's time for me to get Les home. See you guys later." He called across the room before leading Les out the door and down the stairs.

Bliss looked at Race in question.

Race told her, "Oh, they're part of the group, they just have a family waiting for them. The rest of us, we made our own family. I nevah woulda thought that we'd have a girl in ours.

Bliss told them, "Some family this is, I don't even know who you all are!" she said laughing.

One of the nameless newsies jumped up from his place on the floor and said to her, "Hi, uh, I'm called Kid Blink, this is Specs, Snoddy, and over dere's Jake..."

"And I'm Crutchy." a boy said as he hobbled into the doorway. "Nice to meetcha. Now who are you?" he added with a big happy grin.

Jack said, "Crutchy, ya just gotta love him!"

A voice called out from across the room, "Hey, don't forget Boots, Skittery, and of course Pie Eater and Swifty. They'll be back anytime. And I'm Bumlets." He added.

Dutchy said "Yeah, thanks Bums, I think that's it, now why not you tell us why your here?" he asked, pointing at Bliss.

Everyone got settled as Bliss sat down and started her story.

"Are you wanting me to start from yesterday when I met Medda, or from the beginning?" When no one answered her, she said, "Yesterday, I was looking for work, and this guy grabbed me and searched me for money, and he got really mad when I didn't have any, and he was about to hit me when Medda came out and yelled at him, I spent the night at her place and then she brought me here. Oh yeah, she told me to let you guys know that I'm a friend of hers, and if anyone messes with me, they will have to deal with her."

"That's a good enough reason for any of us to be nice to you!" Said Mush. "But now start from the beginning, please."

"I don't know anything about my parents other than that they left me on the steps of an orphanage when I was just born. As soon as I got hungry, I screamed until I woke someone up, and they brought me in and fed me. I don't remember much about that place, it closed down when I was 4. They shipped us all off to a different place that was so crowded that we slept four to a bed. There wasn't enough room to run, so we fought. We would divide into teams and just soak each other for fun. Well, most of the girls didn't, but I couldn't see the fun in weaving grass into jewelry. You know, I've had more black eyes than hours in the day! I got sick of having nothing to do but fight, so I got some of my buddies to bust out with me. Pepper got caught, but Short Spot, Potato, and I got out. But we got separated and I haven't seen them since that night. I have just been wandering ever since. "

"Hold on a sec." Said Race. "Short Spot?"

"Yeah" she answered, "Ya know him?"

Race continued, "Short guy, big blue eyes, with a big attitude to match, carries a slingshot and a walking stick?"

Bliss got all excited, "That's him! Where is he? I haven't seen him in ages!"

The rest of the boys were looking at Race like he was crazy. 

Racetrack told her, "He dropped the Short, now it's Spot, Spot Conlon."

"Ohhh!" Echoed the rest of the group in surprise.

Jack asked her "Did you ever soak him?"

"I soaked the tar outta him many times! He got me good sometimes too though." She answered.

In surprise, Jack told her, "Either you are a better fighter than we think, Spot's gotten better than he was, or we're thinkin of different people."

Bliss asked "Why's that?"

"He's the leader of Brooklyn!" Exclaimed Bumlets.

"That's the toughest gang in all of Manhattan!" Added Kid Blink.

With a chuckle Bliss said "Doesn't surprise me!"

"Listen." Jack said "Tomorrow, I'll teach you how to sell, then we'll go see spot, he's a good buddy of mine. How does that sound?"

"Sounds great. Um, where are we supposed to get our food?" she asked.

Mush said, "Sometimes we get dinner from a vendor, other times we go to Tibby's... I vote for Tibby's tonight."

Everyone nodded in agreement and scurried around to get ready. They all went downstairs, meeting Swifty, Pie Eater, Boots and Skittery coming up. Kloppman looked out from his office, watching the group go by. Bliss was walking with her arm across Itey's small shoulders, and Snipeshooter was walking close, but trying to beat the impulse of holding her hand. He was trying to be big and tough. 

Kloppman smiled at them as they walked out. "By golly, she's already won over the little ones!" he whispered to himself.


	3. Seeing Spots

The next morning, Itey shook her awake. "Bliss! Time to be a newsie!" he told her excitedly.

She sat up and looked around. Most of the boys were already awake, and some of them were even shaving or combing their hair, already dressed.

She jumped up, and grabbed her clothes to change into and walked across the bathroom side of the bunkroom, handing Racetrack a towel to wipe the soap out of his eyes, and fixing Snipeshooter's hair on the way to one of the the bathroom stalls. When she was done changing, she squeezed in between Jack shaving, and Kid Blink fixing his hair in front of the mirror to brush her hair.

Later, at the distribution center, they were hanging around the closed gate, when they heard a commotion. Using Dutchy and Race's shoulders, Bliss pulled herself up to see. There was Oscar and Morris Delancey, shoving someone around. Bliss made her way through the crowd towards them. Oscar was holding some kid, just waiting for Morris to punch him. She grabbed Oscar by the collar, and he let go of the kid. As he swung around to see who grabbed him, she punched him in the face, then dropped him to the ground. Morris just turned and walked the other way. Without a change in expression, Bliss walked back over to where her buddies were, and calmly said, "Ah, sorry 'bout that, now, what were you saying Jack? Something about headlines..."

Before he could answer, the gates swung open, and everyone started to get in line to buy their papes. When it was finally their turn up at the counter, Jack casually grabbed one of the bars across the counter, and said "Hey Weas, meet the newest newsie in New York. Bliss, this is Mr. Weasel."

Not too long after the strike, Weasel was given his job back my Mr. Pulitzer. 

"Wiesel." he corrected.

Jack continued "She's already met Oscar and Morris. Imagine this, Oscar was fighting in her presence!"

"Yeah, and she gave me a bloody nose for it too." Oscar told Weasel as he walked up to the counter, holding a rag against his nose.

"That bitty girl? She aint got the guts to do it again I bet." Weasel told Morris. "You best take her aside and talk with her."

With a grin and a nod, Morris went out the door and tried to walk over to where Bliss was standing. Every one of the Manhattan Newsies stood in between Bliss and Morris, and no one would let him by. Finally, Morris gave up and just went back to help count papers. 

When Jack, Bliss and Dutchy finally got their papes and got away from the crowd, they saw David and Les trying to find a good selling spot as well.

"Hey Les, I need your help." Called Jack.

"Whadda ya need Cowboy?" Asked Les as he walked over to them.

"Can you answer a few questions for me?" after waiting for a nod from Les, Jack asked him, "Do headlines sell papes?" 

"Heck no! Newsies sell papes!" he exclaimed.

"Good!" Said Jack "Now can you tell me what that says?"

"Two empty trolleys collide, causing one to tip over on a stray dog." Read Les.

"That was terrific, now can you tell me what the newsie says?" asked Jack.

"Terrifying trolley accident takes one life." Les replied.

"You are so smart kid! Thanks for your help." Jack praised.

"See ya later Cowboy." said Les as he ran back to David.

"Get it?" Jack asked Bliss.

"Got it." she replied, "Exaggerate and lie through your teeth, right?"

"She's got it!" Said Dutchy.

The three of them had sold all of their papes by mid afternoon, and then headed over towards Brooklyn. When they got over near the dock that was Brooklyn's hangout spot, Jack told Bliss, "Stay here for a minute, and Dutchy, you stay with her, ok." Jack told them.

"OK" said Bliss.

"I can do that." Said Dutchy.

Jack walked onto the dock and right up to Spot.

"Hi Jackie boy." Greeted Spot.

"Hey Spot, how's it rollin'?"

"Things have been going real good."

Spot spits in his hand, and Jack spits in his, and they shake hands.

Jack told him, "Hey, I got someone that says they can soak you."

Spot shook his head. "Let him try, no one can soak Spot Conlon."

Jack responded "It aint no he, it's a girl that said they can soak you."

"A girl?" Spot exclaimed, "There aint no way a girl can soak me!"

"I'll wager 5 cents on her." said Jack.

"Bring it up to 10, and you got yourself a deal!" Challenged Spot.

"Your loss." said Jack. "Dutchy, bring her out to meet Spot." He called.

Dutchy stepped out from behind the crate, followed by Bliss. Spot's eyes got all big and his jaw dropped. He fumbled in his pocket for 10 cents, and he dropped it into Jack's hands before walking towards Dutchy and Bliss.

"Bliss, where ya been?" Spot asked as she walked up to him.

"Around." She answered before she looked him in the eye and spit into her hand.

Breaking into a grin, Spot spit into his own hand and they both laughed as they shook hands.

This gesture broke the silence from the Brooklyn newsies. They were all murmuring back and forth about the mysterious girl that spitshakes, and can supposedly can soak the toughest newsie in all of New York.

"Who's your girlfriend Spot?" asked one of the Brooklyn newsies.

Bliss looked up at him and walked over to the stranger. "What's your name, honey?" She asked sweetly.

"Tops." he said with a huge smile.

"Well, Tops," She said nicely before her manner switched to a cold tone. "Don't jump to conclusions, it can get you into trouble." She said as she grabbed the side of his collar and pulled his face in real close to hers.

"Sorry, uh, sorry." he said franticly.

"Now that was a smart thing to say!" She told him. "But now I think it's time for you to leave, ok." She said right before she lifted him off of his feet and tossed him onto the water.

As she walked back over to Spot, Jack and Dutchy, one of the other Brooklyn newsies called out, "What a woman!"

She flashed him a grin before settling herself on a large crate next to Spot.

"You haven't lost your touch!" Spot told her with a grin. 

"What have you been up to?" Bliss asked him.

"Just makin' a living, and trying to keep these mugs in line." Spot answered.

"I hear your the leader of the toughest group of newsies in all of New York." She stated.

Scratching his chin, Spot answered, "Yeah, I heard that too, but they aint that tough. I bet the two of us could soak the lot of them."

"I bet we could, but lets not." she said with a smirk. "At least, not today."

"I guess your right." Spot agreed, "How long have you been in town?"

"Not too long. I just got myself established in a lodging house yesterday. Today was my first experience in selling." Bliss explained.

"How'd she do?" Spot asked Jack and Dutchy.

"Well, she knows what to do, and she's a girl, that's an advantage, so she did just great for her first day." Said Jack.

"I attract more customers than he does, people feel more sympathy for me. I bet that if Les, Crutchy, and I started an alliance, we could be unstoppable, no one else could sell a pape within 2 blocks of us!" She said with a giggle that the others joined in on.

Dutchy waved at them all and pointed towards home "I better be taking off, I promised Snipeshooter a game of marbles, and I always keep my promises."

"See ya, Dutchy" Spot said.

Jack told Spot, "This girl already has the Delancey's nervous around her!"

With a laugh, Spot said, "I believe it! Who were they messing with, was it you, Bliss, or someone smaller?"

"Yesterday, Morris was chasing Les, David's brother, then today Oscar was holding this one kid for Morris to hit him! Those two need either a babysitter or a leash!" She exclaimed.

"Well, what did you do? Maybe that will teach them." asked Spot.

"I gave Oscar a bloody nose, but I haven't had to hurt Morris yet, other than his hair. He ran past me without saying hello." She told him.

Jack laughed merrily and said, "Spot, do you want to join us tonight at Tibby's for dinner? It's about time for us to get back."

"Sounds good to me" he said as he stood and helped Bliss up.

Bliss linked arms with Spot on her right and Jack on her left, and they made their way down the street. 

"Before we go eat, I think we should see if the guys are gonna come with us." said Jack. When they went in, There was only a small group over in the corner of the commons room, sitting around the table, playing cards. Jack, Spot and Bliss got caught up in the conversation about today's events. Race, shuffled the cards, and dealt them in to the game. David, Dutchy and Bumlets were the only other ones playing.

Itey, Snipeshooter and Les were the only ones in the bunkroom. Everyone else was downstairs in the commons room, playing cards, or doing something else. The three of them were having a blast just running around and jumping from bunk to bunk, playing with their toy swords. 

The game had lasted long enough that no one knew who was on what team, or if they were running from each other, or someone imaginary.

"I got you!" said Les victoriously to Snipeshooter as he grabbed his arm.

They fell in a heap on the ground, laughing, and Itey came running.

"They're coming! Look out!" Itey called to them, pointing to an empty wall.

Giggling, all three of them separated, and all ran in different directions.

Snipeshooter tripped and on his way down, his arm, midway between his shoulder and elbow, caught on a nail that was sticking out of the leg of one of the bunks. He let out a blood curdling scream, and Les and Itey came running. Seeing blood, Les said with his eyes as big as saucers, "I'm gettin' David!" before running out of the room. Itey sat on the floor next to his sobbing friend to wait.

Everyone downstairs had stopped talking when they heard the scream. Les came barreling down the stairs yelling "David! David! Snipeshooter got hurt! Go help him!!"

At this, David jumped up and started heading for the stairs, followed by the rest of the group. Walking across the room, David asked the boys "What happened?"

Since Snipe was crying hysterically, Itey answered for him. "He fell down, and he scratched his arm on that!" he said, pointing to the nail.

David told Snipe, "You'll be, ok, come here." as he picked the little boy up, and walked across the room, setting him on the counter next to the sink. David was asking Snipe how much it hurt while unbuttoning his shirt. 

"Why do I gotta take my shirt off?" asked Snipeshooter while wiping his tears with his other hand.

"I can't see your arm if it's covered by a sleeve, silly boy!" David said to him with a smile. "Thank you Bliss." He said as she handed him a clean wet rag to wash off the wound. Bumlets held Snipe's other hand still while David started to clean the dirt and blood off of his arm. Snipeshooter tensed up and started howling again as soon as David touched the cut.

Bliss walked right up next to him, and patted Snipe's knee to get his attention. She started singing a song to him. His sobbing soon turned to sniffles as he sat there watching her eyes as her sweet steady voice filled the room. David took advantage of the momentary calmness to finish cleaning his arm, and wrap a piece of a clean rag around it, tying the knot, just as Bliss was finished with her song.

"Hey, Snipeshooter, how would you like to come to my house, and spend the night with Les?" David asked.

Snipeshooter grinned and nodded furiously.

"But you gotta promise me one thing. You have to let our mom look at your arm sometime tonight. You can be brave again, can't you?" David asked with a smile.

Snipeshooter cocked his head, brows furrowed in thought. "I guess I can." 

"Good! Les, are you ready to go?" David called.

Dutchy found Snipe a clean shirt to wear, and helped him into it.

Snipe looked at Bliss "Your song voice is real pretty."

"Why thank you." Bliss said. She leaned over and whispered "You did a good job." 

He grinned at her before taking Les' hand and walking out of the room with him and David. Itey waved at him until they were gone before walking over to Racetrack and pulling on his sleeve. "Racetrack? Is it dinner time yet?"

Racetrack patted Itey on the shoulder and told him, "Yeah, sure kid, I'll even buy it for you tonight."

As they passes by Kloppman's desk, they left him a note asking him to fix the nail sticking out of the bunk, before walking out onto the street.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bliss smiled to herself at that memory. It wasn't one she thought about often.

That night, Snipeshooter got to go to a friends house, and Itey got all the attention of everyone, so they were both winners. She finally fell asleep, weariness taking over even the fondness of memories.


	4. Bad dreams and dreams come true

Sunshine danced through the windows, slowly pouring in until it formed a pool on Bliss' pillow, warming the back of her head and neck. Turning over, the sunlight shone through her closed eyelids, slowly waking her up. Bliss gradually opened her eyes as she groaned and stretched. Grudgingly, she crawled out of bed, making sure to be quiet, so as to not wake the sleeping boys. After getting dressed, she filled the washtub up with soapy water, and got to work on scrubbing all their clothes clean.

Jack shook his head in his sleep. Before him stood his mother, her belly rounded with pregnancy. She already looked like she swallowed a large whole watermelon, and she still had about 2 months to go until the baby was born. Jack, at almost 12 years old, was sitting on the floor, using his knife to whittle into a piece of wood. She was softly singing as she dried the dishes and put them away. Suddenly, his father burst into the kitchen.

"Woman!" he screamed, "I told you to take care of them tomato plants! They been sitting there, goin' bad!"

"They aren't ripe." She defended.

He started shaking with rage, and he spat back at her "My woman don't talk back to me." and started towards her.

She shrieked and ran into the bedroom, with him stalking after her. Jack jumped up from the floor, and snuck over to the doorway, just in time to see his father pick up a heavy wooden clock from the top of the dresser, and throw it at his mother. It hit her with a thud in the middle of her forehead, then crashed to the floor, with pieces splintering off, and skidding across the floor, as her eyes closed and she fell, landing sprawled diagonally across the bed on her back. As soon as Jack saw the blood rushing from her head, he turned and ran.

Waking with a start, Jack sat up quickly, almost falling off of his bunk.

The sound of Jack groaning caught Bliss' attention. She glanced up, and saw Jack sitting up, holding his head. After hanging up the other side of the shirt she was holding, she walked over to his bunk, climbed the ladder, and sat on the edge of his bed, next to his feet.

"You don't look so good Jack, are ya feeling all right?" she asked as she leaned over and put her hand on his forehead. "Well, you're not warm."

"I'm fine, really, it was just a dream... Oh man, I haven't had that one in a long time." Jack muttered to himself.

"What are you talking about, is something wrong?" asked Bliss.

"It's just somethin' haunting my past." he explained. "You don't want to hear about it."

"Sure I do." she said back to him.

"No," he insisted. "You don't." he said as he climbed past him and down to the floor and across the room, and went into a bathroom stall.

Sighing, Bliss climbed down and went back to hanging clothes.

After she had washed all their clothes and hung them to dry on clotheslines she had rigged up across the bunks, she started waking up the guys. She suddenly got an idea. Picking up a small towel she had just washed, she rang out the extra water and twirled it up, and snapped it at Dutchy's backside that was sticking out from under his covers. He awoke with a yell, and turned quickly, and fell off of the bed. Bliss tried to catch him, but only succeeded in getting herself knocked over and pinned down by Dutchy's larger frame. 

"Get offa me!" she ordered through her giggling.

Mush looked up from his bunk with a yawn then a surprised look, at the sight of Bliss sitting on the floor, with Dutchy laying across her, pinning her to the floor. 

She tickled Dutchy and he rolled up in a ball, so she shoved him off of her leg, and jumped to her feet. 

"That's the last time I ever try to catch you if you fall!" She exclaimed, rubbing her leg, just above her knee where he had landed on her.

"I bet that's the last time you will ever try to wake me up by snapping me with a towel, too." he added.

"Don't count on it, Dutchy!" she grumbled "I'll just have to stand farther away!" she said with a straight face before a smile slipped in through the corners of her mouth. She turned and walked away from him, grinning at her success in waking up nearly everyone by causing him to scream. She collected her the things she needed and changed her clothes in a stall in the bathroom.

By the time she had come out, fully changed, everyone else was awake. She grabbed her shoulder bag from the post of her bunk bed and walked outside, and made her way down the street towards the distribution center to sit in the morning sun. Passing my a nun on the street, Bliss took a piece of crusty bread from her, and nibbled on it as she walked. When she got there, she had settled herself on a wooden box that was sitting near the tall metal gate. She had finished her bread and was brushing the crumbs off of her skirt when Oscar and Morris walked by. She grinned and waved at them. and they both nodded and gave her a small wave. She had the privilege of making them respectful around her. Within a few minutes, the space outside the gate was filling up quickly. After buying her papes, Bliss wove through the crowd to get out into her favorite selling spot.

Later that day, Racetrack was coming out from the entrance to the Sheepshead Horse Races, his favorite selling spot. He had a good morning. After selling all of his papes, he put all of his earnings on horse number 7, and he won $10. After that, he saw a man get up from his seat, leaving behind 3 cigars that fell from his pocket. So with his newfound treasure, and fortune, he started down the street with a smile on his face. Suddenly, a man walking by, bumped into him, causing Race to stumble, and almost knock over a little girl that was standing on the side of the road. 

He grabbed her thin shoulders to steady her, and asked, "Ya all right?"

She brushed a lock of her waist length dirty brown hair out of her face and nodded with a concerned look on her face.

Looking down at her, Racetrack decided that something wasn't right. She was standing on the side of the road, looking around like she had no clue what was going on, with a bulging bag slung over her shoulder. She was covered in dust, like she had been dirty for a long time. The back of her thin dress was especially dirty, like she had slept in the mud a time or two.

Race stood up straight, letting go of her shoulders, and asked her, "What's wrong kid, you lost?" 

She furrowed her brows and looked around before answering, "Yes." with the "S" whistling through her two missing front teeth. "I'm lookin' for someone." She said as she adjusted her shoulder bag.

"You look too little to be out lookin' for anything all by yourself!" Race commented.

"I'm five!" She defended as she puffed out her chest. "And I'm all I've got."

"Well then, who are ya lookin for?" he asked, "And I'll help you find 'em. I know almost everyone, and if I don't know 'em, one of my friends will."

"Do you know Francis Sullivan?" She asked hopefully.

Racetrack was taken aback.

"Francis Sullivan?" he asked in disbelief, "What do you want with him?"

"I can't tell you, it's a secret!" She grinned at him.

"You're cute kid, what's your name?"

"Molly."

"Well Molly, I'm Racetrack. I just happen to know a guy that can help you out. His name's Jack Kelley, and he's the best Newsie this side of Brooklyn. He's out sellin' right now though, so if you're hungry, we can go to Tibby's an' get somethin' to eat while we wait."

"Only if you're buyin'. I ran out of money the day before yesterday." She said with a serious expression.

"I wouldn't dream of havin' you pay! Lets just say, it's for almost knockin' you over. Have you eaten anything at all yesterday or today?" he asked.

"Some nice lady gave me an apple this morning, but I'm hungry now." She said earnestly. "Are you sure you got enough money? I'm really, really hungry."

"I'm sure." he answered, laughing.

When they got to Tibby's there were already a few of the other newsies there. Racetrack told Bill, the head waiter that when Jack came in, to send him over to where they were sitting.

"How do you fit so much food into such a little body?" Racetrack asked Molly, looking down at her plate. She was halfway through her 2nd chicken dinner. Race could only eat one plateful of the same meal.

Just then, Jack walked through the door, and Racetrack watched Bill talk to him, and motion him over to the table.

"Hey Race, what's goin' on?"

"Hiya Jack, have a seat."

As he sat down next to racetrack, Jack motioned with his head to the little brown haired girl sitting across the table from them. 

"What have we here?" Jack asked Race.

"Ah, this is my new friend Molly, she's searching for _Francis Sullivan_." Race told him as he looked around to make sure no one was listening.

"Why are you lookin' for him?" Jack asked Molly.

"I can't tell you!" Molly said

"Sure you can" Insisted Jack.

Throwing her little hands up in exasperation, Molly pushed her plate out of her way, and leaned her forehead on her hands, resting her elbows on the wooden tabletop. "No!" She said into her lap, "She told me not to tell _anyone_ but him!" She said sniffling.

"Who said that?" Jack asked her.

She dropped her hands into her lap and looked into his eyes.

Jack could see the turmoil swirling within her as he looked into her serious little face.

"I can't tell you." she stated quietly.

Jack put his hands flat in the middle of the table and leaned in close to her, and whispered "Can I tell you a secret?"

Molly nodded her head quickly.

He continued, still whispering, "My real name aint Jack Kelley. I changed it after I left home. It used to be Francis Sullivan."

She looked at him, her brows furrowed in disbelief. Suddenly, she grabbed his right hand, that was still resting in the middle of the table, and flipped it over, and traced her finger over a small, faint scar at the base of his thumb.

"You cut your hand on a glass." She informed Jack, still holding onto his hand.

"How did you know that?" Jack demanded, pulling his hand away.

"Momma didn't die when the clock hit her, she died last month instead."

"What?" Jack questioned. "So you're sayin' that _you_ are _my_ sister?" he asked in disbelief. "You have no proof though, do you?"

"Oh yeah, Momma told me to give you this." She said as she grabbed her bag from the set next to her, put it on her lap, and started rummaging through it. She pulled out a worn leather bound book and set it on the table.

Jack's eyes got real big. He recognized it, he would have know it anywhere. 

"The family Bible..." he mumbled to himself

Racetrack, who had been silent almost the whole time since Jack sat down, (which was a rarity) asked "Huh?"

Jack reached for it and pulled it towards him as he looked at Race and said again, "It's the family Bible! It was my Grandma's, and my mother used it to-" he stopped talking suddenly and opened up the cover to the page he wanted, and read down the handwritten lines until he found what he wanted.

__

Francis Christian Sullivan, Born April 7th, 1882.

Reading down one more line, he read,

__

Molly Elizabeth Sullivan, Born September 27th, 1895.

It was in his mother's perfect handwriting.

Jack looked at Racetrack and exclaimed "I have a sister!" Before jumping out of his seat, nearly knocking over his chair, and going over to the other side of the table, and scooping up Molly into his arms. He hugged her tight, before tossing her up in the air with a laugh, and spinning her around.

This action caught the attention of the dozen or so newsies that were in the room, and they just sat there staring, trying to figure out Jack's odd behavior.

"I found my sister!" He announced to the room, still holding her in his arms. Suddenly, he looked at Molly and said "I left my old name behind when I left my old life behind. Will you be Molly Elizabeth Kelley, so no one can say that you're not my sister?"

After pondering for a moment, she answered, "I like that name, Kelley. An' I can say it without whistlin'." She informed him, pointing to her missing teeth.

Grinning at her before he looked back across the restaurant, he added "This is Molly Kelley." Then he said to Molly, "These are the guys, you'll get to meet them later. I'm hungry, are you hungry?" he asked her.

Racetrack answered for her, "She already ate 2 plates of chicken, she better not be!"

With a grin, Molly told Jack, "It's really good chicken, you should have that." she said nodding.


	5. In too big of a hurry to think of a clev...

A/N: I'm sorry for the HUGE wait.

GypsyRuth: Thank you, you're sweet.

KodachiSoul: :-D Wow, I have a semi-regular reviewer… and it's someone that I don't know personally!!! :-D You get chocolate chip cookies!

If you give a newsie fan a cookie, she'll want some chocolate milk to go with it. After you get her the milk, she'll ask you to get her a straw. While you are trying to find the straw, you'll make a mess in the kitchen, and she'll feel so bad that she'll grab a broom and start sweeping. Then she'll get carried away and sweep the whole house… I should give out cookies more often!!! (BTW, that's in reference to "if you give a mouse a cookie" it's a really cool book.)

PhoenixTBN: Did I ever tell you you're my hero? You're everything I wish that I could be. I can fly higher than an eagle, cuz you are the wind beneath my wings… Well, you were one of my motivators to start writing fanfiction. You and Mari, with your reading and critiquing my stories. Thanks for trying to decipher my handwriting! You're great!

Oh yeah, this chapter is long, because it took me so long to update… Think of it as getting a box of cracker jacks with TWO prizes!

**ON TO THE STORY!!!**

The bell over the door at Tibby's jingled them a goodbye as Jack, Molly and Racetrack walked outside.

Molly asked the other two, "Where are we going now?"

Jack answered, "Lets go stash your stuff at the lodging house, and introduce you to Kloppman, and get you a bunk."

Oscar and Morris walked out from around the corner, and Oscar said, "Oh, Kelly, you're startin lodging house for girls, I hear."

Jack looked down at Molly, and told her "That's Oscar and Morris, they's as dumb as they is ugly."

Molly looked up at the Delanceys, then back at Jack, before replying, "They must be really, really dumb then, especially him."  She said, pointing at Oscar.

Walking towards her, Oscar reached out to grab Molly, but Race and Jack both intercepted him, and held him back.

Oscar calmed himself down, and stepped back before asking, "Who's the rugrat anyway?"

Jack answered, "Molly Kelley, my _sister_, and I'll soak you till you can't walk if you touch her."

Morris grabbed Oscar's shoulder and said, "Lets go, Uncle Weas told us to hurry."

The Delanceys turned and started to walk away as Molly reached into the pocket of her dress and pulled out a slingshot and a round pebble. Taking aim, she pulled back and released. The pebble sailed through the air, and hit Oscar in his backside. Molly quickly dropped her slingshot back into her pocket, and looked over at a burly fruit vendor with surprise.

Oscar whipped around and looked at her, then followed her gaze over to the fruit man, shook his head and continued walking, rubbing his bum.

Jack and Race were both staring at Molly with their mouths hanging. She pulled her slingshot from her pocket and waved it at them with a grin, and pocketed it again.

"There aint no way she's not your sister! She can get the best of the Delancey brothers and get away with it, just like you. Way to go kid!" Racetrack said as he ruffled her hair.

Jack picked her up and set her on his shoulders, and once again headed in the direction of the lodging house.

"Do you have girl Newsies at the lodgin' house?" asked Molly.

"Just Bliss, oh, and now you." Answered Jack.

"Is Bliss a good newsie?" she asked.

"Almost as good as Jack." Answered Race.

"Is she five, like me?" Molly wondered aloud.

"Naw, she's almost my age." Jack told her.

"Oh." She commented.

Jack put Molly down so they could walk through the doorway of the lodging house, and they went in and walked up to Kloppman's desk. Jack picked Molly up and set her on the desk so that she could see over.

"Hiys mister, I'm Molly." She grinned. "I need a bunk."

"You do?" he asked. "My name is Mr. Kloppman, and I run this lodging house. The thing is, this is a newsie lodging house. Are you gonna be a newsie? If you aren't a newsie, you can't just stay here."

Molly nodded sincerely, "I'm gonna be a newsie as soon as I learn how."

"Alright Molly, you can get a bunk here. I need your full name so I can write it in my book. What's your last name?"

Molly looked up at Jack with a smile,, and proudly stated "Molly Elizabeth Kelley."

Kloppman looked at Jack in surprise.

Jack nodded back at him, then turned to Racetrack. "Why don't you get her upstairs, and gether settled while I explain."

"Sure thing Cowboy." Race told Jack. "Lets go kid." Race said as he lifted Molly to the floor and took her bag for her.

Molly grabbed Racetrack's hand, and held it, and he flashed an amused grin back at Jack.

Molly started counting, "One… two… three… four…"

"What are you doing?" Race asked her.

"I'se countin' steps. Darnit, I lost count!" she exclaimed "I'll count later." She said as they reached the bunkroom door. "In here?" she asked Race, and when he nodded in response, she swung the door open.

"This is it." Racetrack announced.

"Ohhh!" she breathed, "It's big, lotsa people live here!" she commented.

The sound of a door opening and closing came from across the bunkroom, and they looked over to see Bliss come out from a bathroom stall and start washing her hands.

Molly tugged on Race's arm, and motioned for him to bend over so she could whisper in his ear.

"Can I tell her?" Molly asked Race

He whispered back, "You can tell Bliss anything, or ask her to do anything, and she'll help you out."

Bliss finished drying her hands and looked up. "Oh, hiya Race, I didn't see you come in." she said with a wave. "Well, hello, what are you doing here?" she asked Molly while crossing the room to where they were standing.

"I'm gonna be a newsie too!" Molly proudly told Bliss. "I found my brother, and he's gonna teach me how."

Bliss looked at Racetrack with a quizzical expression on her face and commented, "She doesn't look a thing like you Race…"

He cut her off, "No, no, not _my_ sister." He corrected, "Why don't you tell her your _full_ name." He suggested to Molly.

"Molly Elizabeth Kelley." She stated.

"Kelley? Jack's sister?" Bliss questioned before she kneeled down and looked into Molly's eyes. "I see it now." She said. 

Bliss spit into her hand, and extended it to Molly. Molly spit in her own hand, and as they shook hands, Bliss said, "Nice to meetcha, Miss Kelley, name's Bliss. Have you picked a bunk yet?"

"No… I don't know what one to choose." Molly said as she turned around, looking all over the room.

"Well, there's an empty bunk on the other side of mine. Us girls oughta stick together, you know."

Molly grinned, and nodded in agreement. 

"Let's put your things away then." Bliss said as she motioned fro Race to hand her Molly's bag. Bliss dumped it all out on Molly's new bunk, and commented, "all of your clothes, even the ones you are wearing are dirty." as she started going through the little girl's things.

Jack came up the stairs to find Racetrack sitting across the top step, leaning on the wall with his arms crossed across his chest.

"What are you doing out here? Where's Molly?" Jack asked as he tried to step over Race's legs and go into the bunkroom. 

"I wouldn't go in there if I were you." Racetrack warned. "Bliss kicked me out and told me to guard the door… I think Molly's getting a bath."

Molly was sitting in the bathtub with bubbles up to her chin, while Bliss lathered up her hair, and then rinsed it out. Molly sat in the tub, playing in the bubbles while Bliss washed her clothes in one of the sinks.

"Bliss." Molly called out, "I'm wrinkled enough."

Laughing, Bliss told her, "just a minute, Miss Molly, Let me hang these to dry, and I'll help you out."

A few minutes later, Bliss opened the door to the bunkroom to let Race and Jack in.

"What took so long?" Jack demanded.

"Well, Molly, and her wardrobe needed a bath." Explained Bliss

They walked into the bunkroom to find Molly sitting on the edge of her bunk, swinging her bare feet, and trying to brush her long, wet hair. Bliss sat down next to her, and took over the brushing for her.

"What is that you're wearing?" Jack asked Molly.

Molly looked down at herself, "I'se wearin' your shirt." She answered.

His grey, long sleeved shirt was like a dress on her, even more so because Bliss had found a piece of rope to serve as a belt. The sleeves were rolled way up o that she could use her hands.

After Bliss had brushed all of the tangles out of Molly's hair, she put it into two braids, and secured the ends with ribbon.

As soon as her hair was done, she jumped up and started moving all over the bunkroom, exploring every corner.

"How am I gonna take care of her?" Jack asked himself, shaking his head as he watched Molly jump from top bunk to top bunk across the room. "I don't know how to care for a bitty girl! How will I know what she needs?"

"It just so happens, that believe it or not, " Bliss said with a grin. "I used to be a little girl, and I know a lot about them."

"Whatever you need, if I can help, you got me." Racetrack offered.

"Thanks guys, that means a lot." Jack said.

Racetrack got out a deck of cards, and the three of them started a game of cards, all the while watching Molly play around the room.  She found Snipeshooter's old, broken sword, and propped it up between Skittery's pillow and the wall so it stuck up in the air close to a foot. Next, she climbed up on Bumlet's top bunk, and got out her slingshot and a handful of pebbles from her pocket.

Racetrack stopped mid-shuffle to watch Molly as she took aim and fired. She hit the middle of the toy sword three times in a row. She finally sat down, making herself comfortable in Bumlet's bed, and building a fort from the blankets. By the time they had finished their game, Molly had fallen asleep, coccooned securely in Bumlet's tangled blankets.

"Poor kid," Race commented, "She's been through a lot in the last few days." Race said, as he stood perched on the side of the bunk under the one Molly was occupying, He was standing just high enough to see over the side, and look at her sleeping form. Then, Racetrack climbed back down from the side of the bunk, and dealt a new game of cards.

It had to be an hour later when a small group of Newsies came clattering up the stairs. 

As soon as the small group burst into the room, Bliss jumped up from her seat, and forcefully murmered, "Shhh, we have a sleeper, you know the rules." Her voice was much quieter than usual, but there was a certain air about it that said she meant business.

"All right, all right," whispered back Boots, with Jake, Mush, and Bumlets nodding their emphasis.

Bumlets whispered to Bliss, "We're leavin soon anyway, so it don't matter." He then made the mistake of tossing his hat and walking stick up on his bunk.

Suddenly, a small form, still wrapped in blankets, sat up with a start, slingshot in hand. With the rocks, she started pummeling anyone that moved.

Jack, Race and Bliss jumped up, spilling their cards on the floor. As he sprinted across the room, Jack called out, "It's ok, they's my buddies, Molly, they're good, I promise!" He stepped on the bunk under the one she was on, and reached up, pulling her out from under the tangled blankets and holding her to his chest.

"If they's so good, then why's they throwin' sticks at me when I'se sleepin?" she said with an angry look at Bumlets.

Jack was taken aback. He thought she was scared, not furious. Bursting out with a laugh, Jack pointed up to Bumlet's bunk. "You were nappin' in his bed! That's where he tosses his stuff." He explained. "Anyway, this is Bumlets." Jack said, motioning over to Bums, who was standing there, still rubbing his cheek, right under his eye, from being hit with a rock.

Giggling, Molly looked over at Bliss and Race, and said with a grin, "I gave my brother's buddy a shinah!"

The whole room burst out laughing at that. Molly turned back to Bumlets and said, "I'se sorry! I'll fix your bed for ya." She reached up and grabbed the side of Bumlet's bed, and pulled herself up, and out of Jack's arms. First she pulled the blankets back, and picked up a couple pebbles frum under the sheet. "Here, hold these for me please." She said, flashing Jack a grin as she dropped her rocks into his hand. Then she picked up the pillow, and finding more pebbles, she dropped those into Jack's outstretched hand.

As she continued to fix Bumlet's bed, Bumlets asked Jack, "Did I just hear her say 'brother'?"

"Yeah. I just found out today that I have a sister."

Boots cut in, "So it is true! I heard it from Pie-Eater that he overheard it from Itey talking to Skittery."

Molly handed Jack another small handful of rocks, and her slingshot, so she could climb down. Once she reached the floor, she announced to the guys that she didn't know, "I'se sorry I hurt you guys!" Then she turned back to Bumlets "Is your eye gonna be all right mistah' Bumlets?"

"First of all, you don't need to call me Mistah, Just Bumlets, or Bums, like everyone else. What do they call you, kid?"

"Molly Kelley." She told him.

"Well, Molly Kelley," Bumlets stated, "Like you said, I'se probably gonna get a shinah', but I'm a newsie, I've had a shinah' before."

She flashed him a toothless grin before spitting in her hand and spitshaking with him, "I'se glad you'se tough." She told Bumlets before turning to the others that came in with him. "Who are you guys?"

"I'm Boots." He smiled at her.

"Jake." He said, tipping his hat at her.

"They call me Mush… Where'd ya learn to shoot like that?" he asked her.

"I've been wondering the same thing." Stated Jack.

"A friend of my momma's taught me." Then she got her slingshot and a small handful of rocks back from Jack, and climbed back on Bumlet's bed. She proceeded to hit her makeshift target that was still on the other side of the room, with one rock after another until she ran out of rocks.

"You must be as good as Spot!" exclaimed Jake as she climbed back down to the floor.

"Just be careful where you say that, Spot has 'birds' all over the city that flock to him and tell their secrets. I don't want anyone messing with my sister." Said Jack.

"Does this mean we gots another girl on our team?" asked Mush.

"Yeah, you got a problem with that?" asked Jack, his eyebrows raised.

"I say the other lodging houses are gonna be jelous… We got us the best fighter in New York over here." Race said, motioning to Bliss, "and one of the best slingshooters too." He said, pointing to Molly.

"So who's this Spot guy?" Molly asked.

"He's the leader of the toughest Newsies in New York." Bumlets informed her.

Bliss walked over to Molly and kneeled down so she was at her level. "And he can also be the grouchiest and moodiest newsie. Stay on his good side, and he'll fight to the death for you. If you make him mad, we'll have to keep you in hiding until he calms down again."

"But don't worry about it too much, Brooklyn and Manhattan have been allies for years." Jack said reassuringly.

"Hey Jack, are ya gonna introduce her to everyone at Tibby's tonight?" Asked Mush.

All of Manhattan always ate dinner together at Tibby's restaurant. That's where they usually had their meetings too.

"Not tonight, I'm goin over to the Jacob's for dinner, an' I'm takin Molly with me. I better get goin' so I'm not keeping them waiting or nothing." Jack said.

"Wait!" Bliss said, "Molly is not going anywhere dressed like that, not when she has clean clothes to put on."

Laughing, Jack said, "I forgot, thanks Bliss!"

"ok, ok, everyone out, so she can change." Ordered Bliss

Everyone said their goodbyes and walked out, leaving Bliss and Molly alone.


	6. Hi Sami!

A/N: Read and review please!!! I was severy disappointed at the lack of reviews for the last chapter…

What sunshine is to flowers, reviews are to authors.  (That's my very own quote!)

AnUndercovernewsie: I'm glad that the sn worked out for you. I always thought that was a fun song to sing… Thanks for the review you're wonderful.

Racetrack and Jack sat on the top step. Race had decided to wait with him for Molly, and walk with Bliss to Tibby's. He figured it was the gentlemanly thing to do.

"I'm glad Bliss is here to keep me straight, I can't believe I was ready to walk out of here with Molly wearin' my shirt, and no shoes!" Jack said, shaking his head.

"Once you get used to the idea, I'm sure you'll take to carin' for her." Race reassured.

Molly quietly opened the bunkroom door and slipped out. With a run and a flying leap, she jumped on Jack's back and scrambled up to sit on his shoulders. "Where we goin again, Jack?"

"You scared the livin daylights outta me! Let me know when you're gonna do that, ok? We's going to the Jacob's place." He said as he started going down the stairs. "Bye Race." He called back to him.

"See ya later Jack. Molly, be good." Race told her.

She just grinned and waved at him. "Who are the Jacobs?" Molly asked Jack.

"They's good friends of mine. Mr and Mrs. Jacobs, that's Mayer and Esther. They are David, Les, and Sarah's parents. David and Les have been Newsies for a year now. An' Sarah's my girl."

"Ohhh!" she replied in a singsong voice.

"Hey, none of that now, ya hear!" he warned.

"OK kid, on your feet." Jack said as he pulled her from her perch on his shoulders and set her on the ground. She skipped ahead and pushed the door open and looked outside. They walked hand in hand down the street until Molly spied a flock of pigeons eating crumbs from someone's dropped piece of bread. She took off running and screeched with delight as they scattered.

Jack smiled. Being a newsie was hard work, and he vowed to himself that she wouldn't completely lose her childhood, like so many kids on the street.

Molly stood in front of Jack as he knocked on the door. David pulled the door open wide with a smile. 

"Hello Jack, how's it going?" Suddenly, he noticed Molly standing there. "Who's this?" David asked as he motioned them in.

"It turns out that I have a sister…" he started.

The whole family looked at him, astounded.

"Yeah, you think _you're_ surprised… I just found out earlier today!" Jack said, shaking his head.

Sarah walked over and gave Jack a quick hug before asking, "How did you find her?" she asked, motioning to Molly, who was being given the grand tour by Les.

"Actually, Race ran into her. Really, he almost knocked her over, and asked her if she was lost." He explained.

Jack explained the rest of the story over dinner, then they all kicked back and watched Les and Molly run around and play.

"What all did she have with her when she found you?" asked Esther.

"I guess a change of clothes or two, and the Bible, not much." Said Jack.

Upon hearing this, Esther stood and walked across the room, where she kneeled down and opened up a trunk that was set against the wall. She started rummaging through it, pulling out a few articles.

"Molly, come here dear." Esther beckoned.

Molly skipped over and stood next to her. Esther started holding up clothes against her to see if they would fit. In a few minutes she had put together a whole wardrobe for the little girl with some of Sarah's old things, and even more practical for the rough and tumble child, some of Les and David's things. She bundled it all together in an extra blanket for her to sleep with.

It wasn't too long after that when, right in the middle of playing a game Molly and Les invented, Molly just fell over, asleep.

"I guess that means that I better get her back to the lodging house." Stated Jack

"Why don't you guys stay here tonight?" invited Mayor.

"Thanks, but I gotta get back, I bet Bliss is pacing, waiting for me to get back." Chuckled Jack as he stood up and stretched. Patting his stomach, he said to Esther and Sarah, "Thanks again for another great meal."

Jack gently picked Molly up, and she groggily opened her eyes and looked at him before throwing her arms around his neck and snuggling into his shoulder. He waved another goodbye, and Sarah kissed him on the cheek and handed him the bundle of clothes for Molly.

As he walked towards the lodging house, he smiled the whole time. It was a weird feeling. For the first time in his life, Jack was responsible for someone. Not like all the other boys at the lodging house that he watched out for. They all had the rest of the newsies looking out for them. This was different. The little hands hugging his neck had his blood running through the veins.

Dutchy walked out from around the corner and quickly caught up with him.

"Hiya Jack! Is this the sister I've been hearing so much about?" he asked as he took the bundle of clothes out of Jack's hand to carry for him.

"Hey, thanks. Yeah, dis is Molly. What all have you been hearing?" inquired Jack.

"Myself and everyone else received a death threat if we ever let her get hurt."

"What? Oh, Bliss, right?"

"You got it Jackie-Boy"

"Bliss sure is something, you know." Jack said, shaking his head.

With a sigh, Dutchy commented, "She sure is."

Raising his eyebrows, Jack looked over at Dutchy. "What, are you sweet on her or somethin'?" You got dat… puppy dog look in your eyes.

With a quick grin, Dutchy answered, "let's just say that every time I see her, it brightens my day, even when it's the middle of the night. Just don't tell anyone, you won't will you Jack?" pleaded Dutchy.

"Of course I won't tell anyone." Jack said as they reached the door to the lodging house.

Dutchy pulled the door open and held it for Jack to walk through. They walked up to Kloppman's desk

"Evenin' Kloppman" Jack said quietly as Dutchy signed himself in.

As Jack shifted Molly to one arm so he could sign in, Molly woke up and sat up straight, looking around.

"Molly, do you want to sign yourself in, or do you want me to do it?" Jack asked her.

She leaned forward and grabbed the pen from Jack's hand. With her tongue between her teeth in concentration, she carefully wrote her name on the line.

"Night, Kloppman." Dutchy and Jack said in unison.

"G'night Mr. Man." Molly waved to Kloppman as they turned to walk upstairs.

"Sweet dreams girl." He answered back.

"Who are you?" Molly asked Dutchy.

"Molly, this is Dutchy." Jack answered for him. Just about everyone else should be upstairs already, so you'll get to meet them tonight too." Jack said as they reached the last step.

"Molly squirmed herself to the floor and opened the door to the bunkroom. She poked her head in and looked around at the frenzy of activity inside. Spying Bliss across the room, she pushed the door open and skipped over to where Bliss was sitting, talking to Bumlets and Mush."

"Hiya Bliss." She said as she settled herself next to her on the bed. "How's yer eye Bumlets?"

As soon as Molly had come all the way through the doorway, all movement and talking stopped, and all eyes were on her. She yawned and leaned on Bliss, who in turn, put her arm around her and pulled her close.

"I'm alright." Bumlets answered, tenderly touching the swollen spot under his eye.

Her reply of "That's good." Was cut short by a huge yawn.

Dutchy and Jack, now holding the bundle of clothes, followed Molly's example and found a seat on one of the bunks.

"What's that you got there Jack? " Bliss asked, pointing to the bundle. 

"Oh, the Jacobs sent us home with some things for Molly."

"Good!" Bliss exclaimed. "I was wondering how I was going to get away with keeping on my regular clothes washing schedule if she only had 3 outfits altogether "

"I gots some boy clothes too!" Molly informed Bliss

"Hey Jackie-Boy, why don't you introduce us to your new guest there." Snitch called out from across the room.

Standing up with a grin, Jack clapped Dutchy on the shoulder and announced, "Dis is my pal Dutchy…" he was cut off by half a dozen or so hats thrown at his head. He ducked, but one still hit him. "It turns out that I have a sister. This is Molly." The he turned around to tell Molly who everyone was, only to find that she had fallen back asleep.

"I guess she aint up to any introductions tonight." He told everyone as he bent down to pick her up to put her in her own bed.

Jack was just about to pull the blankets over her when Bliss called out "Shoes!"

Sheepishly, Jack answered "Oh yeah." before unlacing her shoes and pulling them off.

Kloppman leaned in the doorway and ordered, "Lights out, get in bed everyone." He waited until the scurrying around had stopped before turning the light switch off.

Early the next morning, the whole room was awakened by a loud, bloodcurdling scream. A few of the guys sat up and looked around to make sure everything was all right. When Jack looked around, he saw Molly screaming like a banshee, and flailing her whole body with a look of terror on her face. Jack jumped across the room on a couple of bunks, stepping on a couple of people, and hopped down to kneel next to Bliss, who was already trying to sooth Molly's nightmare away. Jack picked her up from the bed, getting punched in the chin before he could pull her arms to her sides. Her eyes fluttered open, and she finally stopped screaming. 

"Are you alright now?" Jack asked Molly, as he sat down on her bunk, still holding her in his lap.

"Dey tried to take me from Momma before she got dead. They wanted to sell me in a store with other kids."

"Who tried?" asked Jack.

"The men from the 'storphanage'. They said I would sell for a lot of money 'cuz I'm cute."

"I promise you that no one will take you from me. We're a family now, got that?" Jack vowed.

"Are they family too?" Molly asked Jack, pointing all around the room to everyone staring at them.

"Bein' a newsie means you're part of the newsie family, so you and me, we gots two families"

Just then, the door burst open, and Kloppman came in asking, "What's the screaming about, is someone hurt?"

Boots looked up at him and announced, "That girl's certainly got some lungs, she was havin' a nightmare."

"Well, at least she's got great timing. I was just about to come wake you guys up, but there's no need for that now." He said before turning around and walking backout the door and down the stairs.

Jack stood up and poked Pie-Eater, whose bunk was right above Molly's "Wake up Pie-Eater! You can fall back asleep faster than anyone else I have ever seen!"

"Waddaya want Cowboy?" Pie-Eater asked, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"Can I switch you bunks? I wanna be closer to Molly in case she has any more nightmares, and since she likes Bliss so much, I figured it'd be easier to move me than move the both of them."

"Sure, as long as I get to lay here for another five minutes." Pie-Eater answered before turning over and rolling up into a ball to sleep for a few more minutes.

With a grin, Bliss walked over to the sink and grabbed a facecloth and soaked it with icy cold water. Then she stood on the side of Molly's bunk and rang out some of the water onto Pie-Eater's back.

With a yelp of surprise, he flailed his arms and kicked his legs until he fell off of his bunk. He landed on Mush, who unluckily was walking by at the time.

"Sorry Mush" Bliss called out as she tossed the rag into a sink and went to help them up.

The rest of the morning went quite uneventful, with the exception of Jake tripping and almost falling down the stairs. Blink caught him though.

While they were all waiting around for the gates to open at the distribution center, a newsie came jogging up to Jack. He was probably about 16 or 17, and he had a scowl on his face that looked like it would curdle milk. He was a Harlem Newsie that got his name when one too many people sarcastically commented to him, "You are just one big ray of sunshine, aren't you?" and received a "yes" in response. He wasn't intentionally rude, he just never smiled. Sunshine was intimidating to most, but after you got over the initial shock of never being smiled at, he was actually pleasant.

Jack broke out into a grin, "Hiya Sunshine!" he said enthusiastically as he spit into his hand and held it out to him.

The corners of Sunshine's mouth turned up just enough that he didn't look like he was furious, and he spit into his own palm and shook Jack's hand.

Sunshine stated, "There's trouble up in Harkem, the Bronx newsies are on the prowl. Nerve sent me for reinforcements, he wanted you especially."

"But I, uh…" he stammered, pointing at Molly, unsure of what to do.

"I'll watch her close, and you know it." Bliss told him. "Just go, they need a good fighter. And take Snitch and Jake with you if they wanna go." She suggested.

"All right, all right. Molly, stay with Bliss." He said as she started unknotting the red bandanna from around his neck. He kneeled down and tied it around Molly's neck. "Last time I soaked a Bronx newsie, he tried to strangle me with this." He explained before taking his hat off and putting it on her head, and taking the change from his pocket and slipping it into hers. "So you can buy your papers and your lunch, in case I'm not back."

"Alright. Soak a dirty, rotten sucker for me" Molly spat out with a nod.

Grinning, Jack nodded in agreement before turning with a wave and following an ansy Sunshine back through the crowd to find Snitch and Jake.

"Are you gonna teach me how to sell today?" Molly asked Bliss just as the gates opened up to let the newsies in.

"Sure, if you want me to."

"Yeah!" Molly piped with a grin.


End file.
